Foster Program

The foster program uses volunteers to help expand the reach of the shelter to help more animals in need. The shelter has limited capacity and staffing that would restrict the amount of animals we are able to help at a time. By using volunteer foster homes to help house and care for homeless animals, we not only open cage space, help alleviate staff strain, but also open more cages for animals (and humans!) needing assistance! So by helping foster one cat or dog, a litter of kittens, or even a rabbit, you are helping us expand on our life saving goal of helping as many animals in need as possible.

We can’t do it without you!

Any animal in the shelter can benefit from time in a loving foster home. While we often have the greatest need for orphaned kittens, they are only one part of our foster program. Young kittens may require more specialized care than we can provide in the shelter, such as bottle feeding, close monitoring, socialization, and a calm environment to help them grow healthy and strong until they are ready for adoption. In addition to kittens, we regularly need fosters for adult cats and dogs. Many of these pets simply need a quiet place to decompress, recover from illness or surgery, or take a break from the stress of the shelter. We especially love working with fosters who have experience with behavior training, as some of our dogs benefit greatly from extra structure, patience, and one-on-one guidance in a home setting. No matter your experience level or household setup, there is always a foster opportunity for you. If you’re not sure what type of animal might be the best fit, our team is always happy to help you find the right match.

Animals we foster from the ARL:

• Cats
• Mom and Kittens
• Kittens
• Bottle Kittens
• Dogs
• Mom and Puppies
• Puppies
• Bottle Puppies
• Rabbits
• Nursing Rabbits
• Guinea Pigs
• Pregnant/Nursing Guinea Pigs
• Hamsters
• Rats
• Geckos
• Pot Belly Pigs
• Horses
• And more!

What you are looking for is our Trial Adoption! You are given two weeks to take the animal home on a trial basis to see if the animal is a fit for your home. Two weeks doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but you can learn plenty about the animal during their stay! No need to fill out the foster application for this, as it is handled through our adoption team, and they will be able to walk you through the process as well as answer any questions. We recommend getting started on this right away if someone on the website catches your eye as the foster process takes longer to get started than a Trial Adoption. There is no appointment necessary and no wait time, just show up at the shelter and request to visit the animal you had in mind!

Fostering is all about providing a safe, comfortable place for an animal to stay while they wait for their forever home. This usually means setting up a simple, “animal-proofed” space in your home with the basics like food, water, bedding, toys, a litter box (for cats), or a crate if needed. Fosters help by keeping an eye on their animal’s health, giving any medications or attending scheduled vet appointments if they are needed, and helping them feel comfortable and loved so they can show their true personality. Most of what we ask is simply providing daily care, patience, and a stable routine. We also ask fosters to share a few clear photos and a short write-up about their foster pet’s personality and how they’re doing in the home. This helps us showcase them for adoption and gives potential adopters a better idea of who they are. These little updates make a big difference in helping animals find the right match. Our team is always here to support you, answer questions, and guide you along the way — you’re never expected to do it alone!

You must be at least 18 years old to foster, the ability to get to and from the ARL, and willingness to help animals in need! While a spare room is recommended, it isn’t a requirement. Look around your space and see where you could ideally house an animal separate from other animals in your home while they decompress and settle in. The foster team can help with other solutions as well if you need help finding space for your foster animals.

The ARL is happy to offer wet food, dry food, litter, treats, and other supplies that you will need to keep your fosters happy, fed, and clean. Other supplies can be offered such as beds, wire kennels, leashes, collars, and other needs as the shelter supply allows. The ARL is generally donation based so we cannot always guarantee that we will have more specific supplies in stock and able to send out, but we will always try our best!

All veterinary care, vaccinations, surgeries, and medical care will be handled through the ARL vet team so we can keep an accurate record for future adopters. Foster parents agree to alerting the foster team as soon as possible when medical needs arise with their fosters.

Each foster situation is different! It may be a few days a few weeks or a few months, depending on the situation and the reason the animal needs foster care. We get in everything from newborns, seniors, chronic health conditions, injuries, and everything in between. Depending on the situation we can let you know how long we anticipate the foster care will need to be, but always bear in mind it is an estimate. If you ever must return early, or are unable to continue, we will always take our animals back. Just let us know so we have time to set up a new foster home!

While the goal of fostering is to say goodbye, we understand it can be hard to love these animals and watch them move on. If you find yourself absolutely loving your foster animal, we will allow you to adopt your foster animal above others who may be interested, with few exceptions. If you have friends or family members who may be interested in adopting your animal, let us know and we can set them up for adoption as well. Finders may be given priority adoption as well!